At least 10 killed by Riyadh building blast

Riyadh, November 1, 2012

At least 10 people were killed when a fuel truck crashed into a flyover in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Thursday, triggering an explosion that caused the collapse of an industrial building, a witness and television reports said.

Al Arabiya and Al Jazeera television stations reported that in addition to the deaths, at least 50 people were injured.

The building, several storeys high, was almost levelled by the blast, with only one corner left standing. Several adjacent buildings were damaged and nearby vehicles, including a minibus on the flyover, were set on fire, witnesses said.

The explosion was caused by the crash of a truck carrying flammable liquid, Saudi security and civil defence sources said.

A civil defence official at the scene, who declined to be named under briefing rules, said a fuel truck had crashed into a concrete flyover. - Reuters